True Colors
by 4Sunset
Summary: Everything has changed since the Operahouse fire. Christine is back,Raoul is a jerk,Erik is learning to love, and I threw my own character in the mix. Sorry to any Raoul fans but I hate the guy. Hope you like it.


**1/29/10- Hey guys. The other day I remember that I wrote this and decided to take a look at it. I got kind of embarrassed at how much I had rushed through the story and decided to edit it. Sorry about the original, it was my real first story so ummm it wasn't my best. I'm not a pro at writing yet but I'm working on it. Right now, I'm working on a book so I don't know when Ch 2 of this will be up. I hope this is better than the original. **

Chapter 1

It seemed so long ago since Christine had set eyes on the Opera House. Memories of that night flooded back and nearly drown her in tears.

_Flash back _

So much had happened since she was last here. It almost hurt to think about it. After that last fateful night at the opera, Christine and Raoul left Paris and France altogether for fear of the Phantom's rage. They traveled to Christine's childhood village where she had old family friends. Six months after Christine and Raoul had fled to Sweden, Raoul started to act strange and I mean really strange. He turned out to be a hard drinker. Almost always he was in a bad mood when he got drunk and would have "fits of rage" quite often.

One day, Christine decided to wear her mother's locket. She treasured the little trinket. Raoul demanded that the locket be destroyed because the Phantom had seen her wear it. Anything the Phantom had seen her in was declared impure by her "lover" . Raoul claim that he did this to protect Christine and also so the Phantom would not recognize her by her clothes. This sounded odd to Christine months before but she would just blow off any thoughts of doubt with the excuse that Raoul was just trying keep her safe. But the locket was a different story; she hadn't even worn around the opera house for fear she would lose it or someone would steal it. This locket was, in a way, all she had left of her parents. When she tried, key word TRIED, to explain this to Raoul; he wouldn't hear it. When she insisted, he became furious. Christine flee to her room and hid the necklace. He ransacked the bedroom trying to find it and after a few hours of searching, the boiling Rauol stormed off.

Sometime later that week, Raoul demanded that they make love. Raoul had been asking this for sometime, acting more demanding every time. Christine always pushed the matter down since she wanted to wait until marriage. But this time, Raoul insisted and yelled. Christine still refused, Raoul grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her like a rag doll while demanding respect. Christine wiggled out of his grasp and locked herself in her room. Raoul simply would take no for an answer.

That night, he got into Christine's room while drunk and enraged. He beat her. He hit her over and over again, he choked her, he claimed it was punishment because she defying his orders. When Christine yelled, no servants or maids came running. Raoul had let them all off. He was about to rape her when the effects of alcohol finally sank in, Raoul fell asleep.

Christine got up and grabbed a few clothes and other precious items, not wanting to take to much time for fear that Rauol would wake. She placed her mother's locket around her neck, threw Raoul's gaudy engagement ring on the floor and stole his rather fat wallet so she would have some money for traveling. Then she raced into the stables, mounted her horse, and fled the mansion.

The night felt crisp and cold as she galloped down the path. Hours so came to pass. As the sun began to dawn, Christine looked around and spotted a town a few miles off. There she could get something to eat and a warm bed. As the sun rose higher, the villagers came out and started their day. Many stopped and starred and the woman that was black and blue. Christine dismounted and decided to stretch her legs. As she turn a corner, she smacked into another girl.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Are you alright?" asked the girl as she helped Christine up off the ground.

"Yes, I'm fine." Christine managed to stutter before remembering her manners. " My name is Miss Christine Daee. And yours?"

" The name is Brooke. Nice to meet you" the girl said with a smile. Brooke had long golden brown hair and eyes to match. She was tall and slightly tanner then other girls. She was pretty all around but couldn't have been old than 15.

"Brooke, that is an unusual name." Christine thought out loud.

"Well, around here it is. My parents liked things out of the ordinary. We traveled all over the … Are you sure you're fine? You have bruises everywhere and I'm sure that our little collision didn't do that much damage." Brooke said as she looked Christine over. Christine blushed slightly when she realized that she was covered in cuts and bruises. "Those will get infected if you don't tend to them soon." Brooke said. "I could help you, everyone says I'm a great nurse."

Christine looked up and down her beaten arms and then down at her torn dress. No wonder this girl, Brooke, was so concerned. "I would hate to be a bother to you but I really have no idea how to clean cuts or anything for that matter."

"It's no trouble at all. I'm staying in a inn just down the street. I can fix you up in my room. Then you can tell me WHY you are all beat up."

The pair headed to the inn. Brooke bonded Christine's wounds as she told her story, her whole story. For some reason Christine found Brooke easy to talk to. When she finished Brooke spoke, " It sounds like the safest place would be back at that Opera House. You have friends there and the managers are going to be reopening so you could easily get a job. You could also patch things up with the Phantom, he would probably kill Raoul if he tries to hurt you again. That way you would have some protection. Who knows, maybe he will forgive you and you two could start over."

" I guess you're right," Christine said with a sigh " it would be nice to see Erik again." Christine let her thoughts wander to the Phantom. She remembered when, just before she went on stage to perform his opera (Don Juan Triumphant), she for a letter on her desk. It spoke in poetic words of beauty words of reassurance and how he knew she would be amazing. It was signed not Opera ghost or the Phantom but simply Erik.

Her thoughts floated to her old childhood friend, Meg, and Madame Giry and so many others. "It would be nice to see Paris again, it's more of home to me than Sweden is ." Christine mumbled in thought before snapping out of it.

" You know, I have to travel to Paris too. I had this screw up with my boat ticket and landed in Sweden. My parents wanted me to enjoy and learn about fine arts and culture. I'm suck in Europe for 6 months. I could go with you."

"Your parents shipped you off to France for a few months on your own?" Christine asked.

" I have done all kinds of stuff on my own. Honestly, were I go, adventure follows. I guess knowing like 12 languages, a lot about different cultures, and martial arts does come in handy when you run into trouble." Brooke said almost speaking to herself.

" Wait, you know martial arts?" Christine questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Yup, I spend about 4 years in Asia, I had to something other than read books." Brooke stated." Wow, look at the clock. It is almost noon. Why don't we grab lunch and some supplies so we can head out tomorrow for Paris?"

_This girl is so out of the ordinary_. Christine thought. _But, she seems trustworthy and it isn't safe for me to travel alone._

"Sure, why not?" Christine said with a smile.

The two headed into town and the next day off to Paris. It took weeks of traveling to even get to France.

_End of Flashback _

" Well, here we are…" Christine said as she shifted uneasily. To say she was nervous was a under statement. She was freaking out. Thoughts of all kinds raced through Christine's head. _What if I don't get a job? What if Erik is furious? What if Raoul finds me here? What if…. _Brooke's voice snapped her out of it.

" Earth to Christine. Stop worrying, everything is going to be fine." Brooke said reassuringly. Christine blinked away the bad thoughts as they climbed up the stairs and stepped in through the door.


End file.
